NEW YORK — Amidst mounting opposition from the University of the Philippines community in Diliman, composed of faculty, students and alumni, President Rodrigo Duterte refused an offer from the UP Board of Regents to grant him an honorary doctor of laws (honoris causa).

The refusal happened less than 12 hours after the Filipino Reporter of New York came out with an editorial in its website which urged the PH President to turn down the UP offer because, to the New York newspaper’s belief, Mr. Duterte did not deserve it because of thousands of poor Filipinos extrajudicially killed under the President’s anti-drugs campaign.

“I don’t need it,” said President Duterte in turning down the award offer.

He added that his pay for the work he does is enough and he does not need any awards.

The international community is up in arms in condemning President Duterte for the more than 8,000 suspected drug traffickers and users killed since June 2016.

Mr. Duterte is the third president of the Philippines who refused an honoris causa offer from UP.